Toddler Burned During SWAT Team Raid In Lakeland, Florida
BY Herschel Smith
6 years, 5 months ago
WFLA:
LAKELAND, FL (WFLA) – A 2-year-old child was burned by a flash-distraction device when Lakeland Police Department SWAT team members executed a search warrant on a home known for continuous drug activity on Thursday.
According to police, members of the SWAT team executed a high-risk search warrant at 1103 West 9th Street.
Once at the home, SWAT officers knocked and verbally announced that they were executing a search warrant, as per protocol.
Officers entered the home and cleared the room, not seeing anyone inside.
The small room was cluttered with clothing and furniture items, including old mattresses leaning against a wall.
With no one in sight, a less lethal distraction device was deployed by an officer.
Officers used a noise-flash diversion product.
As the officer was backing out of the room, a 2-year-old child, who is believed to have been hiding in the mattresses, began walking toward the device as it was activated.
The officer immediately grabbed the child and took him outside to the SWAT team medic.
The child suffered third-degree burns and was taken to Lakeland Regional Health, then Tampa General Hospital.
There is a very small set of circumstances in which I believe that a military raid is warranted. One such example would be a hostage situation, but even then I prefer to see men employ their wits and negotiate their way to a peaceful resolution. And any team that ever attempts to do something like this should be a professional team who has trained day and night with the other team members in shoot houses for a couple of years.
My own son told me that he spent so much time with his own unit – living with them, eating with them, shooting with them, room clearing with them – that they didn’t even have to speak to each other and they all knew what the other team members were going to do next. His NCO told them all if one of the Marines in a fire team gets into some kind of trouble then the whole team had better be in trouble because the fire team had better not be split up. Ever. If you’re not trained to that level of proficiency, then you shouldn’t be doing this sort of thing – ever, under any circumstances.
Finally, I am a Christian libertarian. I don’t believe in a militaristic police state or SWAT raids or the so-called “war on drugs.” Evidence gathering and taking people into custody isn’t a good enough reason to breach the doors and force your way into property that doesn’t belong to you. Old fashioned police work with detectives is good enough to gather evidence the classic way and also to ascertain whether children or the person of interest is in the domicile, when they come and go, and when is the best time to effect arrest.
This wasn’t it. As for the Lakeland police SWAT team, it’s my hope that you see the toddler every day for the rest of your lives in your mind, and in your dark dreams during sleepless nights. I hope not a day goes by in your miserable lives that you don’t hear the screams of a burning child.
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On June 3, 2018 at 11:06 pm, BRVTVS said:
Note that a flash-bang grenade is now called a “flash-distraction device” when a cop uses it.
Off topic: Have you seen this? http://www.kget.com/news/local-news/member-of-prominent-farming-family-faces-felony-weapons-charges/1186514586
On June 4, 2018 at 8:48 am, Fred said:
“Finally, I am a Christian libertarian”
I don’t have time to go into a big long explanation here for those who are ‘Conservatives’ and those who are not Christian but I’ll just say that this comports with the order of Melchizedek from which our Savior hails. The law is perfected. We live under His natural law…(again). Never again yoke yourself with bondage. We are free indeed.
Police are a false construct of tyrants. Although there is a duty to your nation (I don’t mean country) There is no sense of debt to society in the Holy writ other than those of a nation, this is duty, to be repaid by war.
Sheriffs? are for another day.
On June 4, 2018 at 10:47 am, June J said:
Regardless of the number of times a SWAT raid results in injured or dead children, there never seems to be any widespread outraged calls for review and reconsideration of the practice.
But then again, this is a nation who shrugged off government agents burning down a building containing women and children.
On June 4, 2018 at 11:06 am, Chris Mallory said:
You have to remember June, we have a whole lot of “conservatives” who in one minute will be ranting about “From muh cold dead fingers” who will turn right around and spout “If you don’t want your house burned down and your child BBQ’d, don’t break the law.” or “Obey every order and you won’t be hurt”.
On June 4, 2018 at 11:10 am, Herschel Smith said:
@June,
Part of the problem is with “conservatives.” The commitment to the rule-of-law LEO worship runs deep within “conservative” circles.
I can pimp my posts to many a blogger and get links trying to drive traffic (which bloggers embarrassingly must do), but when I write on LEOs and SWAT raids, it’s almost impossible to get links at “conservative” sites because it makes law enforcement look bad.
And where does it end for these “conservative” folk? I’m sure they sit back and say something like “Well, if they hadn’t been doing drugs this would never have happened.”
But we know that’s not true at all. What happens when it’s a wrong home raid and one of these “conservative” bloggers gets his dog or child killed or burned by cops? I wonder if their support will still be forthcoming.
On June 4, 2018 at 11:21 am, revjen45 said:
Why would you expect the screams of a burned child to bother them? More likely they would regard such as music to beat off to. Those oafs were just born too late to participate in the 3rd Reich’s Adventures with the Einsatzgruppen.
On June 4, 2018 at 12:07 pm, June J said:
@Chris, @Herschel,
I get it. Didn’t used to, was one of those conservatives. No longer claim to be Republican, and realized that I wasn’t what conservatives have become either.
People gotta wake up, get their heads out of their phones (or asses). If I could I’d require every American to read two books: “Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces” and “I’m from the Government and I’m Here to Kill You”.
Anyone who reads those and chooses to maintain the status quo has already checked into the waiting boxcars.
On June 4, 2018 at 3:03 pm, BRVTVS said:
Most “conservatives” these days are nothing of the sort. The neocons can trace their lineage back to Leon Trotsky. The older and more genuine (paleo) conservative tradition of Russell Kirk, Joseph Sobran, John Randolph of Roanoke, Sam Francis, and Mel Bradford that was viciously marginalized during the Reagan years is entirely different.
“If I could I’d require every American to read two books: “Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces” and “I’m from the Government and I’m Here to Kill You”.
To that list, I’d add Roger Root’s excellent and very well documented report, “Are Cops Constitutional?” (http://constitution.org/lrev/roots/cops.htm). This used to be hosted by Gun Owners of America, and shows the difference between the attitude of GOA and the NRA.
On June 4, 2018 at 9:06 pm, Fred said:
BRTV, Two words: Abraham Lincoln.
On June 4, 2018 at 10:37 pm, Jeffersonian said:
What, again?
http://justiceforbabyboubou.com
On June 5, 2018 at 8:47 am, Randy Sanders said:
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail, including people.
On June 6, 2018 at 12:29 pm, Danni said:
Talk to anyone who sells them at SHOT and a flash bang is a MILITARY device designed for OUTDOOR use. These SWAT morons are just playing soldier to enjoy their endorphin rush, oblivious to the damage they do. F’in losers.
On June 6, 2018 at 1:13 pm, Herschel Smith said:
@Danni,
[1] Arm the public.
[2] Disarm the cops.
[3] If anyone needs to be chased and apprehended, Constable calls for a Posse. This has a rich history in America. Return to it.
Problem solved. Don’t ever get a Posse called on you. Be peaceable, or get killed.